There are so many enviable play spaces all over Instagram and Pinterest. And if you have the money, you can even have a kids’ dream space designed for you complete with slides, climbing wall and all the wooden toys imaginable! It’s easy to think that a play space is reserved only for people who have, well, the space for it.
But here’s the thing, a place space doesn’t have to mean a whole room dedicated to your child’s toys. Having a small place doesn’t mean you have to forgo the idea of a play space entirely - it will just look a little different.
Solution 1: Bedroom
A rather obvious first solution to consider is having your children share a bedroom so that the other bedroom can be turned into a play space.
If it isn’t possible for siblings to share a room, research space saving solutions. The IKEA KURA reversible bed is a popular choice because the bottom section can easily be used for toy storage or as a cosy reading space.
Search ‘IKEA KURA bed hack’ on Pinterest for plenty of gorgeous, space saving ideas.
Solution 2: IKEA Kallax Cube Shelving Unit
This shelving unit is 77cmx77cm meaning it can fit neatly into a corner of lounge room area, a home office or child’s bedroom.
You can still apply the 70/30 Method of play space rotations on a smaller scale you will be able to fit around 6 toys on the shelves.
Remember that the 70/30 Method is a guideline rather than a strict rule to follow.
Solution 3: Rotate the Skills-Based Toys
A second option for small spaces is to rotate the skills-based toys, whilst keeping the open-ended items out as a permanent fixture.
The open-ended items would be kept in baskets next to the shelves for easy access.
Solution 4: Choose a Cosy Corner
Whilst you might not be able to dedicate much space to a play space, try to make it a feature space.
You can add your child’s wall art or a wall hanging to the space along with a small play mat and cushion to indicate that the space belongs to your child.
Including a small child-size convertible table (like the IKEA Flisat) will give additional options for play too.
The table can easily be used for invitations to play, sensory play and art.

And finally, a reminder about toy clutter
A small space can be a blessing in disguise because it will force you to make more conscious choices about the toys that come in to your home.
Too many toys and frequent purchases can contribute to our children feeling overwhelmed. They might also come to expect new toys often, meaning that they don’t fully appreciate or explore the play potential of the toys they do have.
As a reminder, here is the study mentioned in the toys 101 series that was released in November.
Researchers observed 36 toddler subjects between the ages of 18 and 30 months in free-play sessions. The toddlers were given either four toys or 16. “There was a significant difference in the quality of toddlers’ play between the two toy conditions,” the study reports. "As measured by sustained play and variety of manners of play, toddlers had a greater quality of play in the Four Toy condition compared to the Sixteen Toy condition." Essentially, when given a few toys, the toddlers played with them in more varied ways and for longer periods of time.
Dauch, C., Imwalle, M., Ocasio, B., and Metz, A. (2018). The influence of the number of toys in the environment on toddlers’ play. Infant Behavior and Development. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.11.005 via psychologytoday.com
If you need to declutter, check out our 7 Day Challenge via the link below. Feel free to share it with a friend or family member too!
Key Takeaways
Apply the 70/30 Method on a smaller scale
Feature skills-based toys on rotations
Opt to keep open-ended toys out as a permanent fixture
Make a cosy corner so that your child has a sense of belonging to the space
Children actually don’t need many toys in order to play